Thoughts from the interface of science, religion, law and culture

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

EVENTS

Ray Lewis: God Proves My Innocence

I believe Ray Lewis is the greatest middle linebacker ever to play football. He also drives me batty with all his “God put me here” nonsense. But I somehow missed this when he reached the pinnacle of absurdity in claiming that the “fact” that God has used him and blessed him proves that he was innocent in the Atlanta double murder.?t=1m54s

Now I have no idea if Lewis took part in the murder of two men in Atlanta. He was charged with it but struck a deal and ended up pleading guilty to obstruction of justice. No one was ever convicted of the murders. But this argument for his innocence is monumentally stupid.

Indeed SLC1, entire offenses were redesigned to deal with Butkus. The same can’t be said for Lewis, though I’ll give him top contender status for best modern (since 1975) middle linebacker. People in Pittsburgh (Lambert) and Chicago (Singletary) might still have a beef with that.

But after seeing this interview, he’s tops on my list for biggest idiot to play linebacker.

I never understood why athletes thank God for their successes but never blame him for their losses. If God wanted the Ravens to win that means he had to make Niners lose. Shouldn’t the Niners just blame their entire first half performance on him? Or was that Satan?

I was flipping through the channels and landed on that interview just as the question about the murders was asked. I was surprised how angry I got at the response by Lewis. I expect that kind of ignorant, arrogant attitude, but his delivery was infuriating.

Ray Lewis is a scumbag, notwithstanding his prowess at being a middle linebacker. There will always be the question about the murders and more recently the “deer antler spray” brouhaha. It appears that Mr. Flacco also had a less than stellar moment during the last few seconds of the Super Bowl when he urged fellow players on the sidelines to tackle the KO return man if he “broke it”.

Of course the Ravens all play for a team whose owner packed up and left Cleveland in the middle of the night, so to speak, because the city wouldn’t give him enough of what he wanted (corporate welfare).

So, a lack of integrity and dishonesty is not a bug in Baltimore, it’s a feature.

I’m aware of what transpired with the Baltimore Colts becoming the Indy Colts. I don’t know what the then Colts ownership did to get out of Baltimore but what Modell did in leaving Cleveland is well documented and it does not put him in a sympathetic light.

It appears from a quick google that Robert Irsay was making a lot of promises that he had no intention of honoring–this sort of thing by ANY major sports figure whether player, coach, manager, owner or school official ceases to surpise me after all these years. That the Colts and Baltimore parted ways as they did in no way mitigates Modell’s actions.

@democmmie Irsay is equally hated by Baltimore Colts fans as Modell is by Browns fans. But neither manager’s actions is a reflection on either city as much as it is on politics in sports.

I’ve been a Ray Lewis fan much longer than I’ve been a Ravens fan. He has always done a lot for the city of Baltimore. Sure he’s over the top with his praise god talk but his locker room speeches are so inspirational it’s no wonder he is so admired by Ravens fans beyond his skills as a linebacker.

the “fact” that God has used him and blessed him proves that he was innocent

Hey, that would’ve been a perfectly valid legal argument…during the middle ages. It’s basically the rationale behind trial by combat: If you are Godly you cannot lose, therefore winning proves you are Godly. It’s not Lewis’ fault he’s behind on current legal theories by a millenium or so.

Another religious way to look at this is that God’s subsequent blessing does not necessarily prove Lewis’s innocence, but it does prove that God condones his actions. That is, God’s subsequent blessing shows that Lewis had a justification defense. After all, why would a just god allow good things to happen to bad people?

I’ll give him top contender status for best modern (since 1975) middle linebacker. People in Pittsburgh (LambeI’ll give him top contender status for best modern (since 1975) middle linebacker. People in Pittsburgh (Lambert) and Chicago (Singletary) might still have a beef with that.rt) and Chicago (Singletary) might still have a beef with that. – sciencavenger,

I was going to mention those gentlemen and let also not forget Ray Nitschke.

“@democmmie Irsay is equally hated by Baltimore Colts fans as Modell is by Browns fans. But neither manager’s actions is a reflection on either city as much as it is on politics in sports.”

I apologize. I was unclear in my previous comment when I said:

“So, a lack of integrity and dishonesty is not a bug in Baltimore, it’s a feature.”

I meant in terms of the Ravens and Orioles (Mr. Peter Angelos is no less an asshole than Art Modell or Robert Irsay). I could prolly add the politicians but that’s true of most of them, most everywhere.

@ scl1 @ #16: Anyone who mentions what happened to the Baltimore Colts and ignores the eminent domain issue and the whole host of stadium issues is either deliberately disingenuous or too lazy to look up relevant facts.

And yes, Lewis is the greatest linebacker ever. He lasted much longer in a much tougher, faster, stronger, more athletic league than any of the names mentioned above. He is the only player to amass 40+ sacks and 30+ interceptions. He has 1600 career tackles. He forced 19 fumbles, recovered 20 fumbles and scored 6 touchdowns. He is one of a handful of players to win Defensive MVP more than once.

At long last. I was waiting for somebody to point this out. That segment of the interview really set me off against the Ravens (not that I wasn’t rooting against them anyway, as a Browns fan). I wanted Ray Lewis to be denied the chance to go out on top and practically went into mourning when the Ravens won.

I’d have to say fellow alum and former Falcon Jessie Tuggle was as good as Lewis. He played on a piece of crap team for most of that time, being that he spent his entire career in Atlanta, so he didn’t have the national exposure. He also wasn’t involved in any murders that I’m aware of.

And yes, Lewis is the greatest linebacker ever. He lasted much longer in a much tougher, faster, stronger, more athletic league than any of the names mentioned above. …

And not one of you mentioned Lawrence Taylor? Tsk, Tsk

We didn’t mention Taylor because he was an outside linebacker, and twice the player Lewis was. Taylor completly took over games at times, and changed the way the game is played. I’ve seen him stop a run on his side, chase down a sweep on the other, and then sack the QB on the same series. Parcells told him early on “We don’t even have a name for what you are doing”. I’ll give Ray props for longevity (unreal really), and inspiration, but while he was great, Taylor was special.

As for the increased athleticism, that’s always a tough issue to account for, which is why (along with rule changes) I made my “modern era” caveat. On the one hand, its simple objective physics that ANY player from 30+ years ago would get crushed in today’s game – the size and speed of the players is that much greater. On the other hand, any of those older players, were they born in this era would have also been that much stronger and faster, so if we are going to compare across eras we sort of have to account for that.

Then there are the rules changes, which is why I didn’t mention Nitscke or Sam Huff, or maybe even Chuck Bednarick. Before 1975 defenders could push receivers all over the field, not to mention having almost none of the current safety rules against dangerous hits. Facemasking was pretty much it. So far from stil being great, I’m not even sure guys like them could play in today’s pass-happy, no-touching-after-five-yards, “safe” league. Bednarick would probably last a quarter before being ejected.

@ #28: “Twice the player Lewis was”? You’re obviously a partisan – because stats tell a different story. L.T. was a one-trick pony – sacks. That’s it. Lewis could do it all, including a lot of stuff L.T. couldn’t do, like cover the best tight ends, and shut down the run consistently. He was paid to sack – all else was extra.

And imagining the greats of yesteryear born in the 1980s instead is not an honest comparison to today’s clearly better athletes. We’re comparing players from different eras, as they were, not as we fantasize they would be, had they been born 50 or so years later.

I won’t touch the “stupid” comment, but I will point out that getting involved in crack does not qualify one as having intelligence.

I never understood why athletes thank God for their successes but never blame him for their losses.

Probably because that’s what all of the adult role models and authorities in his life expected him to do. It’s sort of an erzatz form of humility: he’s just an ordinary guy, nothing special in the eyes of Almighty God, and Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, rigged the game to make him victorious, so he owes all of his accomplishments to God, and if he doesn’t acknowledge this, he’s a braggart and bragging is bad. Graven image and all that.